1996 Ford Windstar engine problems

Filed Jul 3, 2013 · Electrical, Engine · 58,958 miles · GA

This is a second call for help ford corporate will not email me back. Will not verify if PCM has been updated. The van only has under 59,000 miles on it . It should not break this bad this soon makes me tell anyone on social media and our local news media and clark howards team. I do not want to call ford unless it is agreed the phone will be recorded for court purposes. I even asked is the would let me use the updater. I sure do not want don rich ford in villa rica ever again. They stripped the screw. That set min clearance on throttle plate. No shifts funny and sputters and terrible noise in oil pan area. Rod s knocking. Internet has tons of complaints of pistons exiting engine oil pan.

Filed Jun 29, 2013 · Engine, Transmission · 58,586 miles · GA

Dear ford my mother and I have been trying to get answers from the dealer and since they gave up. Because they could not fix it right the first time. Even the second or third time. The van a 1996 windstar with 59,000 miles on it and it started the engine started stalling, when making slow turns not touching the gas pedal loses power steering. My mom almost went into a ditch to avoid a collision with another car. With little internet searching found hundreds of vans with same problems, and appears there is not one resolved. And since this has gone on for over a month. The last visit to the ford dealer in an attempt to fix the stalling. . The idle air control valve is new, and mass air flow is clean supposed to have been replaced also. I checked the air filter was clean, the fuel filter is original so I replaced it. I started looking at the throttle body, and noticed that the throttle plate screw was all gouged up. While I was sitting in drive way with engine running and unless ford engines are only good for 60,000 miles, with all the stalling and low engine idle that keeps oil pressure in the engine lubricating the crank shaft.!! So when engine stalled at very low idle there was no oil getting through the engine. This engine now has lower end knock, which I verified by pulling van onto floor ramps, test drove and confirmed the problem, is critical. Each time I slowed down to turn engine stalled every time, lost power steering and brakes. I could have been killed because ford is ignoring this problem.. And this also answers why other complaints were about engine failures and very expensive repairs. This letter will be put on all social networks, to warn others this could happen to them be aware. They said the ecu/PCM computer was updated. Could not find update on invoices, or in history I can access.

Filed Nov 20, 2011 · Engine · 40,000 miles · OH

Blows headgasket every35000 miles.

Filed May 16, 2011 · Engine, Transmission · 125,000 miles · WA

I purchased a 1996 ford windstar van 3.0 l in june 2010. I have had numerous issues with this vehicle from day 1 to current most dangerous is the blowing spark plug which has blown out 2 times forcing me to drive it to a place where it could be parked for repair first time blow out was 7 days after purchase repaired by a mechanic now 2000 miles later again blew out ford should be ashamed of themselves for ignoring such a huge hazard this could seriously ignite fuel fumes and cause a major fire, explosion while some one is driving with there children to find a repair shop unaware of the danger and damage this could cause, second issue is a failing shifting module or tranny and this has happened alot driving and all of a sudden the vans transmission shifts to a 1st or 2nd gear causing extreme change in speed and in heavy traffic we have almost been rearended several times due to this issue, vessil must be pulled over and trans reset by shifting to park and sometimes shutting off the vehicle and starting it again.ford dealer gave us a 3000. Estimate to replace transmission and told us we would continue to replace trans aprox every 70,000 miles this is a chump way to build cars and they have managed to get more money out of repairs than sales I will never own another ford again safe or not. Ford should be forced to reclaim all these dangerous vehicles and replace all money spent on repairs and purchase of the vehicles due to endangering and there is no way they didn't know about these problems.

Filed May 7, 2011 · Engine · MO

Check engine stays on after tuneup ... Does not lose speed ... Runs rough after accelerating and doesn't not overheat ....what is the problem.

Filed Dec 3, 2010 · Engine · 100,000 miles · IL · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford windstar gl (na). The contact stated that while waiting a stop sign, the vehicle suddenly died and the engine engulfed into flames. There were no injuries. The police and fire departments were called but no police report was filed. The vehicle had not been inspected or repaired. The failure mileage was approximately 100,000.

Filed Jun 6, 2010 · Engine · 152,515 miles · OR · fire

I went to go to the store may 26th, 2010 6:30 - 7:00 pm, I got in my vehicle with my two year old daughter and I proceeded to go down my driveway which its a long driveway and I started to smell a faint smell of plastic burning and I got to the road and I started to go and I decided I should maybe pull over to see if I could see anything on the outside of vehicle causing smell then when got back in car saw the steam coming from hood and I decided to turn around and have my boyfriend take a look before I left. When got to house saw little steam but nothing big, turned off van and got my daughter from car seat and walked inside home not but 5 minutes later my other daughter ran screaming out her room, mom the vans on fire. When opened the door the flames were shooting out of the hood and tried to open hood, while other half going for fire extinguishers but motor was engulfed in flames and within 5 minutes got fire out with 2 fire extinguishers. Nothing indicated before fire other then the faint smell that I smelled while going down driveway. The fire came from the wiring and it is definitely a safety issue cause if me and my daughter had this happen to us while on the road it could of seriously injured or killed us. I haven't done anything to fix the van yet cause I only had liability insurance on the van and the fire wasn't covered. I also do not financially have the means to fix the van myself so I am without transportation right now! My boyfriend did feel after looking at van the fire started with the wiring over the top of the center of the motor.

Filed Oct 19, 2009 · Engine · 120,000 miles · FL · fire

My 1996 ford windstar caught fire in the engine compartment while driving and burned up within 10 minutes. I did not know about the fire danger recall until I heard about it on the new a few days after the event. The only accessory that was on was the airconditioning which was working properly. I noticed a smell followed by smoke from under the hood. I pulled over to investigate and the smoke intensified followed by flames. By the time the fire department arrived (5 minutes) flames were pouring out from under the hood and thick black smoke had filled the passenger compartment. The fire had completely destroyed the engine and had begun to burn into the passenger compartment. The dashboard has melted along with parts of the roof as far back as the middle seats. Up to the event the car had been running normally with no problems. I had never been contacted by ford about the recall and only found out about it on the news a few days after the event. Needless to say, the car was considered "totaled" by the insurance company.

Filed May 20, 2008 · Engine · 135,000 miles · OH · fire

Tl*the contact owns a 1996 ford windstar. While stopped at a traffic light, the contact noticed smoke coming from the hood. The contact turned off the vehicle and the smoke ceased; however, the hood caught fire when the vehicle was started again. The contact extinguished the fire and there were no injuries. The vehicle has not been diagnosed by the dealer. The current and failure mileages were 135,000.

Filed Jan 4, 2008 · Engine · 58,101 miles · PA

Rough idling, "hiccupping" while driving, no heat--went in for a tune up and thermostat and was told its the head gasket.